Garcia sticks the landing - in softball, at Butler

It's a combination you don't see very often.

A varsity softball player in the spring who spends her winters as a vaulter on the varsity gymnastics team.

That's exactly what Alyssa Garcia does at Fremd High School.

But the next four winters, she will spend her springs and winters in Indianapolis.

Garcia has committed to play softball for the Butler Bulldogs.

"She doesn't train for gymnastics in the offseason because she is so devoted to softball," said Fremd girls gymnastics coach Elise Ference-Saisi. "That speaks volumes for her work ethic during the gymnastics season to be able to compete in this sport.

"I never played softball but I can imagine that in any sport your mentality and work ethic will take you far."

Garcia's bat and glove have taken her to the top level of college softball.

She hit .536 with 51 runs and 32 RBI for coach Jim Weaver last spring.

Garcia started playing the game when she was 10 years old. She competed in baseball with her brother before that.

She found her way into gymnastics at the age of four.

"Both gymnastics and softball have a very strong team aspect," Garcia said. "You can't win a game without eight other players on the field with you. And you can't win a gym meet without your teammates competing by your side."

Physically, Garcia said gymnastics helps build a lot of strength and endurance which she uses in the softball season as well.

Garcia had 9 doubles, 2 triples and a home run last spring.

She hopes to have another big season on the Fremd diamond before heading to Indianapolis the following fall.

"What attracted me to Butler was how amazing the campus was and how awesome the coaches were," she said. "When I first arrived on a visit I got that feeling inside that every college student tells you about when you know it's the school for you."

Softball has been the sport for Garcia.

"I love that softball is full of variables," she said. "You'll never have a clear answer to what will happen next so you always have to be ready for anything."

Garcia likes the challenge that gymnastics brings.

"No matter what skills you do have, you can always keep adding on to them and continue to develop more," she said.

Garcia plans to study sports media at Butler.

"Along the way I have had so many amazing teammates and coaches, along with the support from my family and friends to help me fulfill my dream of becoming a division one athlete," she said. "I am so thankful for all the opportunities I have been given over the years. I can't wait to see what the future has to hold for me at Butler."

Baseball

St. Viator senior pitcher Kevin Napoleon has made a verbal commitment to play for the Butler University program.

As a junior, Napoleon set a single-season school record with 9 wins for coach Mike Manno's varsity squad. He had 66 strikeouts in 64 innings and a 2.17 ERA.

Men's basketball

North Park sophomore Jordan Robinson (Hoffman Estates) was named player of the week College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin as he averaged 28.5 points and 11 rebounds.

He totaled a career-high 37 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block and 1 steal against Alma.

The native of Schaumburg followed up with 20 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks and 1 steal in an 81-69 win over the Illinois Institute of Technology.

The 20 points and 13 rebounds was his first double-double of the season.

Women's basketball

Millikin senior Alyssa Saklak (Schaumburg) had 14 points and 6 rebounds in a 66-36 win over Blackburn College.

Saklak also led Millikin with 24 points and 5 rebounds in an 87-60 loss to DePauw University.

• St. Louis sophomore Jackie Kemph (Rolling Meadows) scored a career-high 22 points and added 12 assists for her third career double-double to lead Saint Louis to a 63-57 victory over Memphis at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse.

Classmate Jenny Vliet (Rolling Meadows) tallied a season-high 16 points for the Billikens (7-0), who tied the program record for consecutive wins to begin a season.

• Vliet scored 9 points on a Billikins' season-high three 3-pointers in a 67-31 victory over visiting Missouri-St. Louis.

The second quarter saw Vliet connect three times from beyond the arc to power the Billikens to a 38-13 cushion at intermission.

• Alabama-Birmingham freshman guard Deanna Kuzmanic (Wheeling) scored a career-high 20 points to help lead her team (5-4) to a third straight win, 53-39 over visiting South Alabama.

• Freshman Monica Massini (Palatine) had 10 points and a team-high 8 rebounds for Carthage and teammate Morgan Harris (Hersey) led with 8 assists while scoring 10 points in a 71-61 loss to Coe College.

Football

North Central College senior Richard Zirngibl (Buffalo Grove) is one of two safeties on the defensive third team of the all-North region squad selected by D3football.com.

He is a first-time all-region honoree.

Zirngibl is also a first team all-region pick who earned first team All-CCIW honors this season.

He ranked second on the team with 67 tackles (44 solo), including 7 tackles for loss and 3 quarterback sacks while sharing the team lead with 3 interceptions.

• Augustana senior Sam Frasco (Prospect) has been named to the D3football.com all-North Region third team.

The 5-foot-11, 190-pound senior quarterback also garnered offensive player of the year acclaim in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin.

Frasco set a school record with 2,997 yards of total offense this season.

Men's soccer

Senior Matt Brant (Hersey), senior Richard Lenke (Prospect), sophomore forward Spencer Moore (St. Viator) and freshman forward Ian Lenke (Prospect) were members of No. 11-ranked Loras College which lost in the NCAA Division III championship game to Amherst which won its first title.

Men's track

Lewis senior Andre Barnes (Prospect) was selected as a Great Lakes Valley Conference Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week.

The No. 15-ranked Flyers took third place overall at the event, finishing behind Division I Eastern Michigan and Loyola.

It was the second-straight year that Barnes won the first GLVC Indoor 'Athlete of the Week' award.

Barnes won two events at Grand Valley State - the 400-meter dash (47.72) and he was a member of the 4x400 relay (3:16.79). His 400-meter time is No. 1 in the country.

"Just like last year, the goal for Andre was to hit a time in the first meet that would get him into the national meet," said Lewis men's track and field coach Dana Schwarting in a school release. "Mission accomplished."

Illinois hockey website

For those who like to follow Illinois hockey players, a new website called Illinois College Hockey is available.

It is dedicated to spreading the word about the college men and women ice hockey players who call Illinois their home and are now playing NCAA Division 1 and III hockey.

There are currently 76 men and 37 women playing at the Division I level. There are 81 men playing at the D-III level and 60 women.

If you know something that needs to be published, please contact erickilby@gmail.com. and it will be reviewed it for inclusion on the site.

Volleyball Clinic

Schaumburg High School will offer a coed holiday volleyball clinic for sixth to eighth graders on Tuesday, Dec. 29 and Wednesday, Dec. 30 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

The cost is $25 and athletes should register by Dec. 18. Information and registration and waiver forms are available on the Schaumburg High School Athletic website; or contact Jeanette Pancratz at 224-653-4376 or jpancratz@d211.org.

• Please submit Sports Notes items to jleusch@dailyherald.com.